Parallel Knitting

Parallel Knitting

We’ve learned a lot over the course of making five Field Guides. I’m not going to say the learning curve has been steep, but my hamstrings are sore.

An early lesson: we couldn’t make all the samples ourselves.

In fact, we couldn’t make any of the samples ourselves. I can’t knit anything without blabbing about it in real time, which would spoil the fun. There are secrets I will take to my grave, but I cannot stay quiet about what I’m knitting.

A wonderful side effect of this mission-critical self-restraint is that when I finally do get to cast on something from a new Field Guide, I’m SO. EXCITED. The pent-up desire to knit that thing is very strong.

On Saturday morning, I sat in a coffee shop with my friend Judy, showing her how the Parallelogram Scarf pattern works and helping her start her own Parallelogram. (This took 10 minutes. It’s easy, but there’s a bit of a trick with starting the row where the color changes.)

See the right edge of the scarf, where the color changes are? It’s clever: the change happens on the fourth stitch of the row, so that the carried-along yarn isn’t hanging off the edge, looking messy and getting caught on buttons when worn. Instead, it’s a neat little chain, just inside the edge. It’s a feature!

Expert knitter that I am (!), I managed to mess up the sequence early on. It’s a k2, p2 repeat, but it doesn’t make k2, p2 ribbing. Somehow, though, there is a 20-stitch moment of k2, p2 ribbing in my scarf (right in the middle of the photo above). It’s a feature!

Not All Heroes Knit Capes

As I was knitting along, making slow, steady progress, I started to think admiring thoughts about our sample knitters.

Here’s how it works: we send the sample knitter the yarn and the draft pattern. We express, in as non-panicked a tone as possible, that the photo shoot is coming up a little sooner than we’d like in an ideal world, but that the sample knitter should do the best she can.

A couple of weeks later, a perfectly blocked sample comes back.

Or in, the case of the Parallelogram Scarf: THREE perfectly blocked samples, one in each of the sample colorways.

How did Julie Lindsey do it? Not one whimper was heard from Chicago. I was impressed then, but now that I’m knitting my own Parallelogram, I’m in awe.

Sample knitters of Field Guide No. 5, we salute you!

Pat Brower made all the Freak Flags, no questions asked. no muss, no fuss.

Julie Lindsey, whom we met in Chicago that one time and recruited to be one of our first sample knitters. three pristine Parallelogram Scarves were not a problem for Julie; They even arrived dry.

Haley Parker heads up the Swirl Hat Department of Field Guide No.5. She claims she had fun. (haley is wearing: Roger by nell ziroli.)

Early Tips on the Parallelogram Scarf

There is an optional provisional cast-on. This is to avoid a curve in the diagonal edge of the scarf, which could occur if the cast-on is too tight. After knitting for a few inches, you undo the provisional cast-on, and bind off the live stitches on that edge. More cleverness!

Wanting to participate fully in all clever things, I used the provisional cast-on (see pink edge of the scarf above), but honestly, I know that I never cast on very tightly, and I probably could have done without it. If you are confident that you don’t cast on too tightly, I think you can skip it. If you’re a worrier, use the provisional cast-on for peace of mind. If you have Fear of Missing Out, use the provisional cast-on so you can brag about it.

There is also an instruction about using markers to distinguish the increase end of the row from the decrease end of the row. I didn’t use them. It’s easy to tell where to increase (at the end of the first row of a color) and where to decrease (at the end of the second row of a color). As soon as I worked the first increase and the first decrease, they were highly visible. I may make more mistakes, but increasing or decreasing at the wrong end is not going to be that mistake.

This is going to be my take-along, sociable knitting this holiday season. I think it’s going to last me to Christmas!

I am rather obsessed with this scarf – those color changes! Wow! I was not planning on visiting my local again until mid-December but now I really want to go and pick up the Field Guide and the Freia. And when I read “It’s a feature!,” I chuckled to myself. Happens all the time!

I also really enjoy reading your blog in the mornings! I’m just now getting back into knitting and your blog makes it a joy to knit! I feel like I can “do this!” after reading your encouraging words here.

I purchased the yarn and guide almost immediately and then left home to fly across the country to Ca. for the holidays. My yarn arrived at home yesterday, how I wish I had it with me. Can’t wait to start.

The Parallelogram Scarf is gorgeous! However, since all cats have a Fear of Missing Out, you now have Kermit wanting to learn a provisional cast-on! In other news, a Big Floral Damask Thing was seen gnawing on a pigeon in front of Tiffany’s this morning. . .;)!

I ordered field guide, yarn, needles for this project right away. They arrived two days ago, but real job has gotten in the way of all extracurricular activities. The package has remained, frustratingly, unopened. Now feeling blessed about that because you have written about the very project that I ordered, and have given some very important tips. Thanks so much!

Thank you for another lovely field guide, and a big thank you to the sample knitters! I cast on my parallelogram shawl the moment my yarn arrived and it is such a pleasure to knit! Pattern is easy to follow, and when it starts to rib I know I am off beat! I keep waiting for the color to change…. only problem is I abandoned all my other projects!